History of gambling in Argentina

Argentina is one of the most "gaming" countries in Latin America: historically, lotteries, racetracks, bingo and casinos have developed here, and today the legal regime is decentralized: each form of gambling is regulated by the provinces and the city of Buenos Aires (CABA) through its own regulators.

Timeline: Key milestones

Colonial period → XIX century: lotteries and horse racing

Gaming practices come with Spanish culture: the passion for betting and lotteries took root in the colonial years and passed into the era of independence.

The symbol of "sports" gambling is Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo in Buenos Aires (opened in 1876), which became the backbone of aristocratic races and later - gambling infrastructure with slot halls.

The state tradition of lottery regulation has been traced at least since the end of the 19th century, which was noted by the world lottery community (WLA).

1970s: coordination of regulators

On July 8, 1970, ALEA, the Argentine State Lottery and Casino Association, was created, uniting provincial regulators and developing common industry standards.

1990s: decentralization and growth of the land sector

In the mid-1990s, decentralization intensified: each province forms its own regulation and model for issuing permits. This paves the way for the modernization of casinos, the proliferation of slot halls and bingo arenas.

2000s-2010s: consolidation and preparation for the "online era"

By this time, the ground map includes dozens of casinos, hundreds of slot halls and stable racetracks (Palermo, etc.). Games are becoming part of popular culture and tourism infrastructure.

2018-2021: The first structural steps of online regulation

CABA (Buenos Aires City): The regulator LOTBA S.E. adopts a package of norms, including the RESDI-2018-321 decree - "creates games online" and a responsible game frame. Practical application is completed by 2021.

Buenos Aires Province: Law 15. 079 and Decree 181/2019 legalize online formats (casino games, sports betting, virtual, etc.), and technical regulations 791/2019 set requirements for operators. Legal sites are marked with a domain. bet. ar.

2020s: "mosaic" of the online market by province

Following Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Corrientes, Chaco, Misiones, San Luis, Tucuman, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Entre Rios, Santa Cruz, La Pampa and others are joining the regulation of online games. The country forms an asymmetric map: in a number of provinces, online games are allowed, in others - limited or prohibited.

How regulation works today (as of 2025)

There is no single national regulator: even lotteries are provincial games, not federal ones. Each jurisdiction independently licenses, controls and collects revenues.

The largest leaders in the online framework are Buenos Aires Province (IPLyC) and CABA (LOTBA); their norms often serve as a guide for neighboring regions.

ALEA supports industry coordination, exchange of practices and standardization of procedures (including responsible play standards and process quality).

Social and cultural context

Horse racing and racecourses remain an important part of urban culture (Palermo is a historical leisure cluster).

Gambling is widely rooted in society; land casinos and slots have formed a significant segment of entertainment and employment, especially in tourist areas.

What sets Argentina apart from its neighbours

1. The provincial model instead of a single federal law is the flexibility but also the difficulty of entry for operators.

2. Early institutionalization (ALEA since 1970) and a long tradition of state participation in lotteries and "social" programs.

3. The role of Buenos Aires (province and CABA) as legislators online: technical regulations, domain. bet. ar, joint legalization and control agreements.

Results and vector of evolution

For a century and a half, Argentina has gone from 19th-century racetracks and lotteries to a decentralized online landscape of the 21st century. The story was determined by three factors: the cultural roots of the game (Palermo, bingo, lotteries), institutional coordination through ALEA and provincial regulation, which in 2018-2025. formed a mosaic of online rules (with the leading roles of Buenos Aires and CABA). This trajectory continues to develop: new provinces are adopting online norms, responsible play standards and platform technical requirements are strengthening.

Sources and references

WLA/World Lotteries (a historical tradition of regulation since the 19th century); LOTBA (RESDI-2018-321 and subsequent acts); IPLyC of Buenos Aires Province (Decree 181/2019; Technical Regulations 791/2019; domain. bet. ar); ALEA materials; industry reviews on decentralization in the 1990s; chronicles of Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo.